High School Sports Mission Statements

Castro Valley High School mission statement:  The mission of the Castro Valley High School Athletic Department is to provide student-athletes with an opportunity to compete successfully in a high school program that is an integral part of their educational experience. The experience will provide a personalized learning environment with equitable participation opportunities for student-athletes to develop their leadership potential. Win or lose, the CVHS Athletic Department will encourage student-athletes to provide a winning effort, exhibit sportsmanship, and demonstrate respect for all.

Squalicum High School Mission Statement:  The Squalicum High School athletic department will create and foster an environment that provides opportunities for student-athletes to enrich their high school experience through participation on athletic teams, which are competitive at the conference and state level.  We are dedicated to providing opportunities, which will enhance the intellectual, physical, social, moral and cultural development of the whole person, while conducting all activities with honesty and integrity in accordance with the principles of good sportsmanship and ethical conduct.

My High-School Mission Statement:  Our Mission here, at CHS is to create an Athletic Department that will help students excel in something other than school, stay fit, and learn teamwork and responsibility.  We want to enrich their participation in extracurricular activities.  Whether we win or lose our students will learn good sportsmanship, a will for competing, and respect for others.

Who has high-school sports funding right?

How should high-school sports be funded?  Should parents have to pay for their kids to participate on a sports team?  Should the schools taxes cover the cost?  In Haddon Township, the participants raise funds through fundraisers.  In Katy, Texas, the students are supported by tax money, and in Cherry Hill, students parents are responsible for the funds.  The answer to this question is simple.  The way sports should be funded depends on how wealthy the school/town is.  For example, in Katy Texas, high-school sports should be funded by taxes because they have the tax money.  They are currently building a $58 million dollar high-school football stadium designed to fit 12,000 people.  Towns like Cherry Hill, Haddon Township, and even Cinnaminson are not as fortunate to be able to afford a $58 million dollar stadium.  These towns simply just don't have the tax money to make sports a priority.  You can say what you want about sports and education but education always comes first.  Although I think Haddon Township has the right idea, raising money through fundraisers, the schools are meant for education not sports.  If a school cant afford to pay for your child to play sports its not on them.  High-school sports are a privileged and need to be treated more as one.

For or Against Highschool Sports?

Arguments for High-school sports:

-Involve students in activities
-Build self-esteem
-Enhance fitness and lifetime participation
-Generate spirit and unity
-Promote support
-Develop and reward valued skills

High school sports are a great way to develop all these things.  They truly do bring the school together as a whole.  10 reasons why high-school sports benefit students

Arguments against high school sports:

-Distract attention from academics
-Create dependence
-Increase passivity and injuries
-Create transitory and superficial spirit
-Waste resources
-Create pressure and distort status system

Along with the pros of high-school sports, like all good ideas, it has its cons.  Here is a case against high-school sports

Kobe Bryant's Retirement

After 20 years of playing with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant has announced his retirement.  "Finally, I just had to just accept the fact that I don't want to do this anymore, and I'm OK with that. Once I accepted that, then it became time to just let everybody know. I mean, why not? It just takes a load off my shoulders and everybody else's. It's just the right thing to do." Kobe is now 37 years old.  "If anything changes, I'll change my mind", stated Kobe.  As Kobe is now 37, you can understand why he might decide to retire.  Although he is known as one of the games greatest, he is just too old.  His body is starting to fail him.  He cant blow past defenders like he use too.  Although he works just as hard as he always have, his body is putting limitations on him.  He cant wake up on a given morning and not feel incredibly sore and tired.  His recovery rate is a lot longer.  He is also not scoring as many points, wining as many rebounds, and recording as many assist.  I think Kobe's time to retire is here and everyone will be paying their respect.

Kobe Bryant's retirement is the most important story of the week.  He has had a very successful career with the Lakers for 20 years.  It is incredible that he stayed loyal to them throughout his career.  He is a walking legend winning 5 NBA championships.  Back to back season of 2005-06 and 2006-07 he was the leading point scorer.

High-School Sports aren't Killing Academics

It is a popular belief that high school sports kill academics.  People believe that the reason for Americas lack in test scores is a direct result of too much sports.  Its believed that students cannot focus on sports and academics at the same time.  This however, is false.  According to this article, "High-School Sports Aren't Killing Academics", the only correlations sports may have with academics is a positive one.  A study in Harvard University studied the correlation between test scores and sports in Ohio.  They found that the better the sports teams did, the higher the average test scores were.  This correlation did not only show in the athletes, but in all the students as well.  It must have something to do with the school spirit involved when your sports teams are playing well.

As a high-school student-athlete, I can vouch for what is stated in this article.  I have found that during my sport season, which are soccer in the fall and volleyball in the spring, my grades and academics increase dramatically.  The winter season is always where I seem to struggle and I have a simple theory of this.  During the fall/spring seasons, while I'm playing sports, I develop good habits.  I eat healthier, go to bed early, and am more focused.  I seem to study and do homework more often.  When I am not in season, I develop bad habits.  I usually go home and sleep, play Xbox, or go out and get food.  I am not as focused during this time and am a lot less likely to study or do homework.

Fifa World Cup Protest

Missouri Protest

Current Event: Greg Hardy

Greg Hardy, former Carolina Panther and current Dallas Cowboy, has brought up a lot of controversy this past week.  Back in the month of May, 2014, Hardy had severely beaten and threat to kill his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder.  Holder was pressing charges on Hardy until Hardy paid her off and the charges were dropped.  This past week, pictures of Hardy's ex-girlfriend, bruised and beaten, had emerged.  Although the charges took place more than a year ago, the pictures have sparked up the controversy.  Hardy had only ever received a 10 game suspension of the 2015 NFL season, which was then reduced to 4 games after an appeal.

The NFL seems to be refusing to ban Hardy for life.  They act as if what he did is not horrific and terrible but a freak accident or something that can be overlooked.  The fact that this man is still playing football and not in prison is a question that can not be responded with a solid answer.  Its hard to understand the difference between Ray Rice and Greg Hardy's cases.  They were both charged with domestic violence but only Hardy is playing football.

I think that if Greg Hardy is to continue playing football the Dallas Cowboys should make him go through therapy.  They need to teach not only him, but the NFL fan base that what he did is unacceptable.  It would also make a good example out of him. Not only would going through therapy be embarrassing and humiliating, but it could teach him how to be a good boyfriend, future husband, and future father.  Most likely, a kid will be being raised by him one day and I don't think he is fit for that as of now.  Domestic violence is not something that should be messed around with and should be taken a whole lot more serious.

Artificial turf fields - Crumb Rubber harmful?

Athletes from all sports are familiar with turf fields.  At this day in age, I have even played on a turf baseball field.  These turf fields are made of crumb rubber.  Crumb rubber is car and truck tires shredded down to fill in the space between the artificial grass and the surface of the field.  There is many health concerns with these new turf fields.  One of them is heat.  On a hot summer day, the crumb rubber spread all over the field can absorb and reflect heat.  Temperatures taken 3-4 feet above the surface of the field have been measured to be, on some days, 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit.  That is right at the height of a child that may be playing on the field.  This heat is not only harmful to a full grown person, but to a kid it could be deadly.

Another health hazard that comes from these fields is the risk of cancer.  There is a direct link between soccer goalies and cancer.  The small black pebbles we call crumb rubber is to blame for the cancer patients.  As a soccer goalie, you are rolling around and sliding on the turf the most.  I know from my very little experience as a soccer goalie, that when playing on turf, the turf crumb gets everywhere.  I can remember getting in the car after a game and while getting out seeing all the crumb that has been stuck to me left behind.  Although there is no real scientific evidence that suggest that turf crumb causes cancer, there is a direct link between soccer goalies playing on turf and cancer.  Cancer is not something that should be messed around with.  Athletes need to open their eyes and realize these beautiful fields are causing them harm.

If you are interested into looking into this more:
Health Hazards of Artificial Turf Crumb Rubber Playing Fields

Does Artificial Turf CRUMB RUBBER Cause CANCER? - Lawrence O’Donnell

Youth Sports: Gambling on Youth Football - Outside the Lines

It is still hard to believe that anyone would even think to try and gamble on youth sports.  How can someone possibly rely on 7 and 8 year olds to consistently make plays and win them money.  However, it is still a problem, especially in the south.    Not only are people gambling and winning thousands of dollars, but players and parents are getting involved as well.  Some players are accepting money to make big plays.  Running a kick off back for a touchdown can earn an 8 year old a hundred dollar bill.  Even parents are getting involved.  Parents are getting offered couples of thousands of dollars to have their kids change teams.

These acts are not only extremely illegal, but extremely immoral.  No kids no matter what age should be witnessing this environment.  It is hard to believe that parents and coaches have let it come this far.  The people betting on these games are not the type of people that you want to have your kids around.  They are setting an example for them.  During these youth football games there is fights, violence, drugs, and weapons.  People are constantly getting jumped, mugged, and into fights.  Games played in the NFL aren't even this bad.  More light has to be shed on this problem before it grows even bigger.

Gambling on Youth Football - Outside the Lines

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